Horizon Chase Turbo is an arcade-style racing game that draws inspiration from the 16-bit era of gaming. In 2018, Aquiris Game Studio developed and published Horizon Chase Turbo for the Nintendo Switch. The game initially received a limited Nintendo eShop release, but in 2019, Horizon Chase Turbo received a more widespread release for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Classic MacOS.
This racing game features a retro, classic arcade look and feel. It’s supposed to be like bringing the magic of an arcade game into the player’s home. Instead of going to the arcade and sitting in an oversized racing machine, players can experience the same effects from their couch or bed. While the graphics are simplistic, the game pays homage to the racing games that came before it, both in the Horizon Chase series and in the world of racing video games.
Horizon Chase Turbo received positive reviews upon launch with 94% of Google users claiming to like the game. Steam rates Horizon Chase Turbo a 9 out of 10 and it has glowing reviews across Metacritic. According to the latter, most publications, critics, and players review the game as good, favorable, and at least a solid 8 out of 10. The only real criticism the game faces is that it is very similar to other games in the genre. This sort of goes without saying. A racing game is, after all, a racing game, but Horizon Chase Turbo’s mechanics have been closely compared to games like Top Gear. This isn’t necessarily a bad comparison, but Horizon Chase Turbo has been said to mimic some of the more recognizable racing games out there.
Horizon Chase Turbo Premise
As to be expected of an arcade racing game, Horizon Chase Turbo doesn’t feature a story. The real focus is on the racing and the gameplay itself. As mentioned, this is pretty common for the racing genre. The Asphalt series, another extremely popular franchise in the racing games genre, is all about high-speed chases, cool cars, and sick stunts. Horizon Chase Turbo mimics the original Horizon Chase: World Tour closely and it provides players with tracks to race on from around the world. The Horizon Chase Turbo launch trailer shows examples of driving through cities, suburbs, arctic tundras, deserts, and even the Great Wall of China.
The gameplay consists of the player racing their chosen car from a third-person perspective, meaning they are placed behind the car and can see the entire vehicle as well as the surrounding area. The player’s car always starts at the back of the track and all of the other racers, providing the challenge of speeding through and passing up the competition. One key element to help give players an edge is their turbo boosts, hence the game’s name.
Horizon Chase Turbo contains 109 different tracks to challenge players. Players can play alone, through local multiplayer, or online. The game supports up to a 4-way split-screen for local multiplayer gameplay. Horizon Chase Turbo isn’t just about high speeds, though. Players will need to keep some strategy in mind to pass their opponents and deal with the elements. Different weather will impact the race in different ways, so players need to stay on their toes and be ready for anything.
Horizon Chase Turbo Main Characters
©Aquiris Game Studio – License
There aren’t any characters, story, or plot in Horizon Chase Turbo. Players don’t play as a named character, they simply play for the thrill of racing. This isn’t an uncommon practice for racing games. Many video games in the genre put the player in complete control because they’re supposed to take the place of the racer. The game will never be about a character or a story, because all of its emphasis is on the gameplay.
Horizon Chase Titles in the Series
The Horizon Chase series started in 2015 with Horizon Chase: World Tour. Most of the significant releases are part of Horizon Chase Turbo. Horizon Chase 2 is the newest game in the series. After the release of Horizon Chase 2, there has been no confirmation of another game in the works. That doesn’t mean much, though, because the game is still relatively new.
- Horizon Chase: World Tour (2015)
- Horizon Chase Turbo (2018)
- Horizon Chase Turbo: Summer Vibes (2019) – Horizon Chase Turbo’s first DLC
- Horizon Chase Turbo: Rookie Series (2019) – A Horizon Chase Turbo campaign created for young and/or inexperienced players
- Horizon Chase 2 (2022)
Horizon Chase Turbo Cheats & Unlockables
©Aquiris Game Studio – License
Fortunately for racing enthusiasts, Aquiris Game Studio took into account how many people would look forward to old-school cheats. Since Horizon Chase Turbo is supposed to mimic a classic arcade racing experience, it makes sense that the developers would fill the game with secret codes that will unlock fun content. In addition to the expected up, down, left, right cheat code sequences, the game also features a number of unlockables rewarded for completing specific challenges.
Horizon Chase Turbo Cheat Codes
To input cheat codes into Horizon Chase Turbo, players need to press the button sequences on the game’s main menu. The game will play a car engine revving sound if the code is input correctly.
- Unlock all cars: left, down, right, up, left, down, right, up (←↓→↑←↓→↑)
- Unlock all main menu modes: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right (↑↑↓↓←→←→)
- Unlock all World Tour maps: up, down, left, right, up, down, left, right (↑↓←→↑↓←→)
- Unlock mirror mode and retro mode in options: right, left, right, left, down, down, up, up (→←→←↓↓↑↑)
- Unlock Zeus and Fancy Grey first anniversary skins: down, left, up, right, down, left, up, right (↓←↑→↓←↑→)
- Unlock Dustdriver and Royal second anniversary skins: right, down, down, right, left, up, up, left (→↓↓→←↑↑←)
- Unlock Rookie skins: up, right, down, left, down, left, up, right (↑→↓←↓←↑→)
- Unlock Minuano taxi skins: up, right, left, down, left, down, up, right (↑→←↓←↓↑→)
- Unlock Haze Halloween skin: down, right, left, up, down, right, left, up (↓→←↑↓→←↑)
- Unlock Janis Christmas skin: right, left, up, down, right, down, left, up (→←↑↓→↓←↑)
- Unlock Infinity pride skin: up, right, left, down, up, right, left, down (↑→←↓↑→←↓)
- Unlock Elite 275 joker skin: left, up, right, down, down, right, up, left (←↑→ ↓↓→ ↑←)
Unlockable Cars & Extras
New Car Unlock Challenges:
- Bliss: Earn 200 points in World Tour
- Cable Guy: Earn 2300 points in World Tour
- Crimson Chief: Get 1st Place in all Chile races in World Tour
- Deja Vu: Earn 9300 points in World Tour
- Dustdriver: Earn 5500 points in World Tour
- Dynamite: Earn 3400 points in World Tour
- Elite 275: Get 1st Place in all Hawaii races in World Tour
- Explorer: Win all Professional Tournaments
- Fancy Grey: Get 1st Place in all California races in World Tour
- Francois: Win the Long Endurance
- Fury: Get 1st Place in all Australia races in World Tour
- Gentleman: Clear the World Tour
- Haze: Get 1st Place in all South Africa races in World Tour
- Janis: Earn 10600 points in World Tour
- Ladybug: Win all Amateur Tournaments
- Legend: Earn 850 points in World Tour
- Lightning: Get all Gold Trophies in World Tour
- Loveride: Earn 6700 points in World Tour
- Macchina: Get 1st Place in all Iceland races in World Tour
- Madbot: Get 1st Place in all Brazil races in World Tour
- Minuano: Win both Porto Alegre tracks in World Tour
- Nano: Get 1st Place in all China races in World Tour
- Night Rider: Get all Super Trophies in World Tour
- Orient: Earn 1500 points in World Tour
- Royal: Get 1st Place in all United Arab Emirates races in World Tour
- Specter: Earn 4400 points in World Tour
- The Fuzz: Win all Master Tournaments
- Twilight: Get 1st Place in all India races in World Tour
- Walker-X: Get 1st Place in all Japan races in World Tour
- Westbound: Earn 7800 points in World Tour
- Zeus: Get 1st Place in all Greece races in World Tour
Extra Content Unlock Challenges:
- Golden Globe Menu Option: Get 100% in World Tour Mode
- Mirror Mode Option: Clear the Medium Endurance
- Retro Mode Option: Clear the Short Endurance
Speed Boost Glitch
Players have reported that if they accelerate during the countdown at the start of the race, they gain an initial burst of speed that they shouldn’t have. To achieve this glitch, players recommend accelerating when the countdown is between 1 and 0. This “glitch” is a common thing in the Mario Kart games, so it’s possible that this feature was intentionally built into Horizon Chase Turbo.
Horizon Chase Turbo Cheats FAQs
How do you unlock cars in Horizon Chase?
Most cars in the Horizon Chase series can be unlocked by completing challenges or, for those who don’t want to wait, inputting cheat codes. Both the quick cheats and the challenges for Horizon Chase Turbo’s cars are listed above.
Is Horizon Chase Turbo worth it?
Naturally, a question like this is hard to answer impartially. Gaming is all about the player’s preferences and enjoyments. Someone who loves racing games will probably enjoy Horizon Chase Turbo. Gamers who don’t care for the genre will find little joy in playing it. That said, gamers and critics have nothing but praise for Horizon Chase Turbo. Most players agree it has a nice balance between a classic arcade racing game and a racing game that actually provides a challenge. If you are a person who enjoys racing games, you probably won’t regret getting Horizon Chase Turbo.
What are the controls for Horizon Chase Turbo?
This will vary slightly depending on which system the player is on, but the mechanics for Horizon Turbo Chase are pretty straightforward. Four buttons control the brake, hand brake, accelerator, and NOS. Players will use the left analog stick or their mouse to steer. It’s that simple.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Aquiris Game Studio.